Mix together the spices and pat each chop into the mixture. Be sure the entire chop is coated on both sides. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and then throw them on the grill. Recommended internal temperature for lamb is 145°F. Remove the chops from the grill and cover with foil for 10 minutes. This will allow the chops to cook a bit more and be even more mouth watering. When cooking a chop think of it as a steak and you will be just fine.

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Hi my name is Sara Ross. I blog over at Sara’s House and am good friends with Kristin. Recently we traveled abroad promoting US agriculture and Kristin got in on a fun workout routine that I’ve been doing. But let me start from the beginning…..

About a year and a half ago I was tired of how my clothes weren’t fitting, I was tired of of the baby weight that I was still carrying around, and I was just plain tired. I wasn’t eating the best, I wasn’t working out, and I didn’t have much energy. Our boys, who were almost one and three at that time, were so active and so full of energy. I decided I needed to do something about it so I could keep up with them. I wanted to be a healthy, active, happy mommy for them. And I didn’t feel like I was there at that point.

At that time, I decided to start watching what I ate. Luckily my husband was on board too. It’s easier to cook and eat healthier if everyone else is game. Obviously our kids didn’t have much say in it, but they pretty much ate whatever I cooked for them, and eating healthier wasn’t going to hurt them any!

We started eating a more balanced diet , making sure we got our protein and also our fruits and vegetables along with the dairy and grains that make up a well-balanced diet. At the same time I started a new workout program called T25. Between the two (eating healthy and working out) I started seeing big differences! T25 is a workout program created by Shaun T. It is only 25 minutes and you can easily do it right in your house. I live out in the country (my husband and I farm in southwest Iowa) so there aren’t any gyms close by. This program was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time.

I stayed motivated and and completed the 14 weeks of T25 (I did the Alpha, Beta, and the extra Gamma round). We also really watched what we ate. I lost 16 pounds and a lot of inches, most significantly was the 3.5 inches that I had lost around my waist! I felt a lot better about myself, my clothes fit better (actually I had to get some new, smaller ones), and I had a LOT more energy! I knew once that program was done that I needed to decide what I wanted to continue doing for a workout since it’s all about balance (food and exercise).

At that time I had the privilege of attending one of Shaun T’s events and got to workout with him for an hour and a half. Oh my! He was such an inspiration. I wish I could have told him personally how he had changed my life and how much better I felt, but there were a few hundred other people there working out with us, so I didn’t get the opportunity.

After that I went on to do part of Insanity (also by Shaun T) and last summer I ran my first 10K and also some 5Ks with my sisters. I have found that when I workout on a regular basis and eat healthy I feel much better. Now don’t get me wrong, we do splurge on some junk food, pizza, wine, etc, but like I said it’s all about the balance.

On January 5th this year I started in on my third Shaun T program called Insanity Max 30 . It’s the hardest 30 minute workouts I think I have ever done! And I love it! That’s what Kristin did with me four days while over in China recently. She can vouch for me when I say that it’s hard, but it’s a great workout! I’ll finish the eight week program next Saturday, February 28th, so you’ll have to check in on my blog to see how I ended up doing this time around!

One last thing I want to share with you, since this is a Foodie Friday post, is my favorite pasta sauce. It’s packed full of veggies and protein and served with whole wheat pasta. It’s kid-friendly too!

(Neither Kristin nor I are Beachbody coaches or have any affiliation with their company. I just love their workout programs and wanted to share my experiences with you!)

In a large skillet brown the hamburger. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until the hamburger is completely browned and the vegetables are soft. Drain the meat mixture if needed at this time (if lean hamburger is used, then you may not need to drain any excess grease). Return the meant mixture to the skillet and add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add in the chopped spinach leaves and cook until wilted.

Transfer to a slow cooker and add the Italian seasoning, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Cook on high for at least 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with the whole wheat pasta and a side of green beans. I also broiled some whole wheat bread with a little butter, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese on it. Enjoy!

I have a friend who is very physically fit and watches what kinds of protein and fats she intakes. We had a conversation about how she gets tired of eating chicken and asked if I had any other meat ideas. I said what about pork? She replied with “I don’t eat very much pork because it is really fatty”. She had no idea pork is in fact a lean protein. Pork tenderloin actually meets the guidelines for “extra lean” protein (less than 5 g fat, 2 grams of sat fat and 95 mg cholesterol). The tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork – a 3-ounce serving contains 120 calories and 2.98 grams of total fat – as lean as a skinless chicken breast.

She was amazed after I shared with the nutritional facts on pork. The next questions was ok but how do I cook it? That is a super simple one too! I am a huge fan of the slow cooker. I use it at least once a week if not more through the cooler months. Toss it in, add water, turn it on and bam 6-8 hours later you come home to a house that smells good and a meal that will warm you in the winter. There should be no fear when it comes to cooking in the slow cooker. One of my favorite fall back dinners in a pinch is buying a pork loin cutting it in half. Freezing one half for later and tossing the other half in the crock pot. All I do is add some Mrs. Dash, 1/2cup water some carrots and onion and let it cook on low for 8 hours. You will not only have a juicy pork meal but it will fall apart with the touch of a fork. You can serve it over salad, add some barbecue sauce or eat it on a bun. The kids even love this is their school lunches. Below is a great video and a pork slow cooker recipe. Along with Ohio Hog and Soybean Farmers I share some other delightful pork slow cooker recipes!

GRILLING is often synonymous with barbecuing and refers to cooking meat or vegetables on a grate over hot coals or another heat source. From burgers to chops, grilling is the perfect way to eat more lamb and spend less time cooking and cleaning up. Grilled lamb is a fast, delicious, practical weeknight option. Dry brine your lamb chops. If you have time, salt lamb chops 40 minutes to an hour before grilling them, to release moisture and break down proteins way that allows the chops to reabsorb the liquid. – See more techniques for cooking lamb.

Marinating these chops overnight with yogurt and citrus tenderizes the meat and adds bright flavor that complements the smoky char from the grill. A quick, fresh sauce is all you need to complete the chops, plus a bottle of wine. The day before serving, pat the chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay the chops in a shallow non-reactive pan such as an 8-inch square baking dish. Combine the yogurt, half of the orange juice and zest, and half of the garlic in a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together and pour over the chops, turning them once to coat both sides with the marinade. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove the chops from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes prior to grilling to allow the meat to come to room temperature. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, or preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Remove the chops from the marinade and allow most of it to drip off. Lightly oil the grill or gill pan, and arrange the chops over the heat. Grill 3 minutes, turn each chop 90 degrees, and cook for another 3 minutes or until the chops are nicely charred. Flip the chops and cook on the other side for about 6 more minutes, turning halfway through. They should still be pink inside. Remove the chops from the grill and place on a warm plate to rest while you make the sauce. Combine the remaining orange juice and zest, and chopped garlic with the onion, olives, parsley and olive oil in a small bowl. Stir well to combine, spoon some sauce over each chop and serve immediately. - See more at: http://www.americanlamb.com/consumer/grilled-lamb-loin-chops-with-orange-olive/#sthash.Ew5JZncc.dpuf

3.2.2885

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ROASTING is an oven-cooking method in which the meat is cooked uncovered in order to produce an exterior that is well browned and a moist interior. Roasting works best with fairly tender pieces of meat or poultry. Tender cuts like the rack and loin and portions of the leg should be prepared using dry heat cooking methods such as broiling, grilling and roasting. For perfect medium rare lamb, 15 to 20 minutes per pound in a 325°F oven is a good rule of thumb. The temperature of the meat will rise another 5 to 10 degrees (this is called “carryover cooking”), so take it out with that in mind. Lamb is a bold protein that can handle depth of flavor. Fresh herb and spice rubs add layers of flavor, and can transform the versatile leg from skewers for the grill to a whole roast. – See more techniques for cooking lamb.

Spread onions and garlic in an even layer in a roasting pan. Place lamb shoulder on top of onion-garlic layer; pat spice blend onto the lamb to coat evenly. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in 275°F convection oven (or 325ºF conventional oven) for at least 4 to 5 hours or until tender and falling off the bone; remove from heat. Let lamb rest 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan juices from pan and place in a container; cover and chill. Once cold,remove top layer of fat from juices. Discard fat and reserve juices. Pull meat from roasted lamb shoulder; roughly chop and place in a full-size hotel pan. In a saucepan, add cider, lamb juices and syrup; heat to boiling. Lower heat; reduce mixture by half, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce; simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature (yields 1 quart). Pour 3 cups of the simmered sauce over top of pulled lamb and toss to coat well; cover and chill. Cover and bake pulled lamb in 300°F convection oven (or 350ºF conventional oven) for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. To serve: For each serving, spoon 1 cup barbecue lamb shoulder onto a toasted piece of split cornbread or hamburger bun with extra sauce on the side; top with ¼ cup coleslaw. Pulled lamb can be served over pasta or roasted vegetables if desired. - See more at: http://www.americanlamb.com/consumer/hickory-maple-pulled-lamb-shoulder-2/#sthash.aFElOQos.dpuf

I am always looking for new twists on the foods we eat all the time at our house and sometimes a fast version. These two recipes (if you can even call them that) can be served together and are both super simple. Add a salad or a green bean and you will have a meal the entire family will enjoy in no time flat. You will love the simplicity of this pork tenderloin and don’t forget Pork loin is a lean cut of mean low in calories and fat and high in protein!

Follow these three steps to come home to a house that smells good and a dinner that tastes like you were in the kitchen all-day.

Purchase a marinated pork tenderloin from your grocery!

Take out your slow cooker and put the tenderloin with 1/2 cup of water on high. Let it cook all day. It will be tender as can be and fall apart.

The back of the tenderloin has some great cooking ideas too!

Pork Loin Nutrition

One serving of pork loin is 4 ounces and has 121 calories per serving. Pork loin has a low fat count—just 4 grams per serving—no carbs and no fiber. But what it also shows is an amazing 22 grams of protein per 4 ounces of pork loin!

Pork loins also provide us with plenty of essential vitamins, with high levels of thiamin (52%), niacin (37%), vitamin B6 (30%), riboflavin (21%) and 8 percent of your daily value of vitamin B12. These vitamins are essential for successful fat loss as well as improved health.

I love roasted red skin potatoes and this is just a kicked up version.

Pre heat your oven to 425*. Quarter some red skin potatoes and add in 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and toss in a pan with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon (you can never use too much) and drizzle over a little bacon grease for some extra flavor if you wish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender, add shredded cheese and bake till melted!

You can use crumbled bacon from the store or bake up some bacon at home depending on your timeline.

Use your favorite shredded cheese.

Bacon Cheesy Potatoes

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There is no season I love more than Autumn. The humidity disappears, the leaves begin to change and jeans and jackets can once again appear. Two of my favorite comfort foods are cornbread and chili. Here is a way to put them together for a super simple meal combination. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Add a dollop of sour cream some fresh chives “bam” you have a hearty fall dish any cowboy will love!

Cowboy Cornbread Bake

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Beef or (your favorite meat)

1 can 15-15 1/2 ounce can chili beans with sauce

¼ c chopped peppers

¼ cup chopped red onion

¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease a 9 in round pan. Brown ground beef until no longer pink, drain if necessary. In the round pan mix together cooked ground beef, kidney beans, peppers, onion and seasoning. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top. In a small mixing bowl prepare your favorite cornbread recipe. If in a pinch use two boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix and follow box directions. Pour batter over beef mixture. Bake in oven uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cornbread. Carefully invert onto a heat safe plate or platter. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and put back in oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese is just melted. Slice into wedges and top with sour cream.

Yield 8 servings

Sweet Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into a greased 9 inch pan.

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.